Sunday, September 8, 2013

Making Time for the Whole Enchilada: A #DaysofAwe Post

Photo courtesy of www.rapgenius.com
According to thefreedictionary.com, the whole enchilada is the whole thing, everything.  In an ideal world, my whole enchilada would include more quality time and less hurry-up-and-get-this-done.  In such a world, I'd have ample time and inclination for these things, which currently take a backseat in my real, overcrowded life: 
  1. Finish a long-ago-begun classic novel -- and then move on to other unread books in my personal library.  (I just purchased the electronic edition of Les Miserables for the Kindle reader on my iPad, eliminating the need to schlep the 1200+ page book around with me.)
  2. Watch Ian play baseball, cheering for him and his teammates.
  3. Participate in a Mitzvah Inc. project from time to time.
  4. Visit with Daddy in New Jersey more often.
  5. Blog more regularly.
  6. Write just-because notes to friends -- and send them on their way not with the click of an "enter" or "send" key, but with a postage stamp and a long, dark descent down a mail slot. 
  7. Peruse cookbooks and actually shop for and prepare some of the these-look-good recipes.  
  8. Learn to chant another Torah portion -- using the regular Shabbat trope.  Although I know I muttered many times over the last few weeks that I'd never do it again, in hindsight, rising to the seemingly insurmountable challenge proved to be intensely satisfying.
  9. Write in a journal the old fashioned way -- not on a computer screen -- in a coffee shop.
  10. Relax, make eye contact, smile, and be open to new opportunities and experiences. Who knows where they'll come from, or where they'll lead...
Inspired by Stacey Z. Robinson, this post is one in a series marking the Days of Awe, the 10 days of reflection, repentance and renewal between Rosh HaShana and Yom, Kippur.  Because Stacey graciously provided a list of writing prompts for this period, I'm going to play along...perhaps not as diligently as I did during Elul, but as time and inclination allow.